Hornets hold off Hudson

Saturday

Dec 21, 2013 at 9:47 AMDec 21, 2013 at 9:47 AM

By Phillip Morganpmorgan@hillsdale.net

HILLSDALE - The Hillsdale Lady Hornets secured their first win of the season.While early on it looked the Hornets would walk away with an easy first win, they had to thwart Hudson's surging comeback to hold on for a 44-37 victory over the Tigers."We needed to get a win," Hillsdale senior and captain Jamee Thompson said. "This is the one we wanted."In the first quarter, the Hornet defense held Hudson to just three points. By halftime Hillsdale had a stranglehold on the game, 25-11.Hillsdale built their lead largely through the breakout post play of freshman Olivia Nolan.Nolan led the team with 16 points and 9 rebounds. She also only had one turnover the whole game."We worked a lot in practice on sharp cuts, to get closer to the rim where I could put the ball in," Nolan said after the game.For head coach Nick Langston it was a welcome relief for a team that has struggled to score."We finally worked the ball in," coach Langston said. "That was big turning point for us. It was the kind of game we needed."The Hornets could not protect their lead, however. The Tigers came out much stronger in the second half.They managed to whittle the score down to 35 to 28 by the end of the third quarter.With only three minutes remaining in the game, the Hornets saw their lead evaporate to just three points.The Tigers' offense was less effected by the Hornets press, and finished more shots near the rim.While the Hornets and their coaching staff were having their nerves tested, the backcourt stepped up.Hillsdale failed to play keep away basketball, and with a meager lead, they were now forced to scored.With 1:30 left in the game, Hillsdale point guard Alyssa Anderson drove the lane. She pivoted near the baseline on the right side of the hoop, before hitting a turn around jumper. The big shot gave Hillsdale a five-point lead with about a minute remaining.Anderson and Nolan answered the Tigers with two more scores, giving Hillsdale a seven point advantage and their first win of the season."That was a big win for us confidence wise," coach Langston said. "We know we can win now."The victory put end to an 0-5 skid for the Hornets.Furthermore, Langston saw a wide range of contributors in the victory.Thompson, per usual, did a little bit of everything. She finished with 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists.Anderson scored eight points, including four in the final minute and a half of play.Sarah Maple had seven points and three steals.Freshman Claire Felix hit two three-points, and junior Meghan Green had four steals.The Hornets will enjoy a short break before playing in the Pat Patterson Holiday Tournament on December 26th.Jamee Thompson said she thinks the win will provide the team with a good deal of momentum going into the tournament and then into the second half of the season.She said the team will have to focus on fewer turnovers and making shots in order to continue their success.Nolan said that begins in practice."It's great. We realized working our butts off in practice will make us succeed like we did tonight."